Fluoropolymer Produced by Aqueous Polymerization Using Dispersed Particulate of Fluorinated Ionomer

ABSTRACT

A process for making an aqueous dispersion of fluoropolymer particles by providing dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer in an aqueous polymerization medium and polymerizing at least one fluorinated monomer in the aqueous polymerization medium in the presence of the dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer and initiator to form the aqueous dispersion of particles of fluoropolymer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a process for the dispersion polymerization of fluorinated monomer in an aqueous polymerization medium and fluoropolymer particles and aqueous dispersions made thereby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical process for the aqueous dispersion polymerization of fluorinated monomer includes feeding fluorinated monomer to a heated reactor containing a fluorosurfactant and deionized water. Paraffin wax is employed in the reactor as a stabilizer for some polymerizations, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) homopolymers. A free-radical initiator solution is employed and, as the polymerization proceeds, additional fluorinated monomer is added to maintain the pressure. A chain transfer agent is employed in the polymerization of some polymers, e.g., melt-processible TFE copolymers, to control melt viscosity. After several hours, the feeds are stopped, the reactor is vented and purged with nitrogen, and the raw dispersion in the vessel is transferred to a cooling vessel.

For use in fluoropolymer coatings for metals, glass and fabric, polymer dispersion is typically transferred to a dispersion concentration operation which produces stabilized dispersions used as coatings. Certain grades of PTFE dispersion are made for the production of fine powder. For this use, the polymer dispersion is coagulated, the aqueous medium is removed and the PTFE is dried to produce fine powder. Dispersions of melt-processible fluoropolymers for molding resin are also coagulated and the coagulated polymer dried and then processed into a convenient form such as flake, chip or pellet for use in subsequent melt-processing operations.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,099 to Punderson, dispersion polymerization involves two generally distinct phases. The initial period of the reaction is a nucleation phase in which a given number of polymerization sites or nuclei are established. Subsequently, there occurs a growth phase in which polymerization of fluorinated monomer on established particles occurs with little or no formation of new particles. Successful production of the high solids fluoropolymer dispersion generally requires the presence of the fluorosurfactant.

Fluorosurfactants used in the polymerization are usually anionic, non-telogenic, soluble in water and stable to reaction conditions. The most widely used fluorosurfactants are perfluoroalkane carboxylic acids and salts as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,752 to Berry, specifically perfluorooctanoic acid and salts, often referred to as C8, and perfluorononanoic acid and salts, often referred to as C9. Because of recent environmental concerns with regard to perfluorooctanoic acid and salts, there is interest in reducing or eliminating perfluoroalkane carboxylic acids and their salts in fluoropolymer polymerization processes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the discovery that a process for making an aqueous dispersion of fluoropolymer particles is effectively carried out by providing dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer in an aqueous polymerization medium and polymerizing at least one fluorinated monomer in the aqueous polymerization medium in the presence of the dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer and initiator to form the aqueous dispersion of particles of fluoropolymer.

In one preferred form of the present invention, the amount of dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer provided in the aqueous polymerization medium comprises less than about 15 wt % of the fluoropolymer solids produced in the aqueous dispersion. In another preferred form of the invention, the dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer has a weight average particle size of about 2 nm to about 100 nm. The fluorinated ionomer preferably has an ion exchange ratio of about 3 to about 53. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fluorinated ionomer is highly fluorinated, more preferably, perfluorinated.

In a preferred form of the invention, the process further comprises providing surfactant in said polymerization medium. Preferably, the surfactant comprises fluorosurfactant, more preferably, fluoroether surfactant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Fluorinated Ionomer

Particulate of fluorinated ionomer is employed in the process in accordance with the present invention. “Fluorinated Ionomer” means a fluoropolymer having sufficient ionic groups to provide an ion exchange ratio of no greater than about 53. In this application, “ion exchange ratio” or “IXR” is defined as number of carbon atoms in the polymer backbone in relation to the ionic groups. Precursor groups such as —SO₂F which upon hydrolysis become ionic are not treated as ionic groups for the purposes of determining IXR. The fluorinated ionomer employed in the process of the invention preferably has an ion exchange ratio of about 3 to about 53. More preferably, the IXR is about 3 to about 43, even more preferably about 3 to about 33, still more preferably about 8 to about 33, most preferably 8 to about 23. In a preferred embodiment, the fluorinated ionomer is highly fluorinated. “Highly fluorinated” in reference to ionomer means that at least 90% of the total number of univalent atoms bonded to carbon atoms in the polymer are fluorine atoms. Most preferably, the ionomer is perfluorinated.

In fluorinated ionomers, the ionic groups are typically distributed along the polymer backbone. Preferably, the fluorinated ionomer comprises a polymer backbone with recurring side chains attached to the backbone with the side chains carrying the ionic groups. Preferred fluorinated ionomer comprises ionic groups having a pKa less than about 10, more preferably, less than about 7. Ionic groups of the polymer are preferably selected from the group consisting of sulfonate, carboxylate, phosphonate, phosphate, and mixtures thereof. The terms “sulfonate, carboxylate, phosphonate and phosphate” are intended to refer to either the respective salts or respective acids from which salts can be formed. Preferably, when salts are employed, the salts are alkali metal or ammonium salts. Preferred ionic groups are sulfonate groups. Sulfonate groups in preferred fluorinated ionomers used in the process of the invention have a pKa of about 1.9 as measured on the fluorinated ionomer in aqueous dispersion form having 10 wt % solids at room temperature.

Various known fluorinated ionomers can be used including polymers and copolymers of trifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), α,β,β-trifluorostyrene, etc., into which ionic groups have been introduced. α,β,β-trifluorostyrene polymers useful for the practice of the invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,411. Possible polymers include homopolymers or copolymers of two or more monomers. Copolymers are typically formed from one monomer which is a nonfunctional monomer and which provides carbon atoms for the polymer backbone. A second monomer provides both carbon atoms for the polymer backbone and also contributes the side chain carrying the ionic group or its precursor, e.g., a sulfonyl fluoride group (—SO₂F), which can be subsequently hydrolyzed to a sulfonate functional group. For example, copolymers of a first fluorinated vinyl monomer together with a second fluorinated vinyl monomer having a sulfonyl fluoride group (—SO₂F) can be used. Possible first monomers include tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene, vinyl fluoride, vinylidine fluoride, trifluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether), and mixtures thereof. Possible second monomers include a variety of fluorinated vinyl ethers with ionic groups or precursor groups which can provide the desired side chain in the polymer. The first monomer may also have a side chain. Additional monomers can also be incorporated into these polymers if desired.

A class of preferred ionomers for use in the present invention includes a highly fluorinated, most preferably perfluorinated, carbon backbone and the side chain is represented by the formula

—(O—CF₂CFR_(f))_(a)—(O—CF₂)_(b)—(CFR′_(f))_(c)SO₃X,

wherein R_(f) and R′_(f) are independently selected from F, Cl or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a ═0 to 2, b=0 to 1, c=0 to 6, and X is H, Li, Na, K or NH₄. The preferred ionomers include, for example, polymers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,875 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,545 and 4,940,525. One preferred ionomer comprises a perfluorocarbon backbone and the side chain is represented by the formula —O—CF₂CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂CF₂SO₃X, wherein X is as defined above. Ionomers of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,875 and can be made by copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and the perfluorinated vinyl ether CF₂═CF—O—CF₂CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂CF₂SO₂F, perfluoro(3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonyl fluoride) (PDMOF), followed by conversion to sulfonate groups by hydrolysis of the sulfonyl fluoride groups and ion exchanging if needed to convert to the desired form. One preferred ionomer of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,545 and 4,940,525 has the side chain —O—CF₂CF₂SO₃X, wherein X is as defined above. This ionomer can be made by copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and the perfluorinated vinyl ether CF₂═CF—OCF₂CF₂SO₂F, perfluoro(3-oxa-4-pentenesulfonyl fluoride) (POPF), followed by hydrolysis and acid exchange if needed.

For ionomers of this type, the cation exchange capacity of a polymer is often expressed in terms of equivalent weight (EW). For the purposes of this application, equivalent weight (EW) is defined to be the weight of the ionomer in acid form required to neutralize one equivalent of NaOH. In the case of a sulfonate ionomer where the ionomer comprises a perfluorocarbon backbone and the side chain is —O—CF₂—CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂—CF₂—SO₃H (or a salt thereof), the equivalent weight range which corresponds to an IXR of about 8 to about 23 is about 750 EW to about 1500 EW. IXR for this ionomer can be related to equivalent weight using the following formula: 50 IXR+344=EW. While generally the same IXR range is used for sulfonate ionomers disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,545 and 4,940,525, e.g., the ionomer having the side chain —O—CF₂CF₂SO₃H (or a salt thereof), the equivalent weight is somewhat lower because of the lower molecular weight of the monomer unit containing the ionic group. For the preferred IXR range of about 8 to about 23, the corresponding equivalent weight range is about 575 EW to about 1325 EW. IXR for this polymer can be related to equivalent weight using the following formula: 50 IXR+178=EW.

The molecular weight of the fluorinated ionomer particulate can generally be in the same range as the resin which is used in ion exchange polymer membranes used in the chloralkali process for the electrolytic production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide from sodium chloride and in fuel cells. Such fluorinated ionomer resin has a molecular weight which preferably provides solid fluorinated ionomer particulate at room temperature. In thermoplastic forms of the fluorinated ionomer, melt flow rate is preferably in the range of 1 to about 500, more preferably about 5 to about 50, most preferably about 10 to about 35 g/10 min.

The fluorinated ionomer particulate of the dispersion employed in accordance with the process of the invention preferably has a weight average particle size of about 2 nm to about 100 nm. More preferably, such particulate has a weight average particle size of about 2 to about 50 nm, even more preferably about 2 to about 30, still more preferably about 2 to about 10 nm. A suitable preparation method for aqueous dispersions of such fluorinated ionomer particulate is taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,552,093 and 7,166,685 (Curtin et al.). The preparation method of Curtin et al. can provide “water only” aqueous dispersions. “Water only” means the aqueous dispersions contain a liquid medium which contains either no other liquids other than water or, if other liquids are present, no more that about 1 wt %, of such liquids.

The weight average particle size in a liquid dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate used in accordance with the invention can be measured by a dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique as described below in the Test Methods.

In accordance with the invention, dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate is preferably provided in the aqueous polymerization medium by mixing a concentrated aqueous dispersion or dispersible powder of the fluorinated ionomer into the aqueous polymerization medium. Preferred concentrated aqueous dispersions for use in accordance with the invention are preferably the “water only” aqueous dispersions described about made as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,552,093 and 7,166,685 (Curtin et al.). Solids levels in such concentrates are preferably about 1 to about 35 wt %, more preferably about 5 to about 35 wt %. Aqueous dispersions made as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,552,093 and 7,166,685 B2 (Curtin et al.) can also be dried to form powders which are readily redispersed in water or various polar organic solvents to provide dispersions in such solvents. While dispersions of fluorinated ionomer particulate in polar organic solvents may be useful in the practice of the invention, such solvents are usually telogenic and it is generally preferred to employ aqueous dispersions of the fluorinated ionomer in the practice of the present invention with low amounts or no organic solvents present. Thus, dried powders of the dispersions made according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,552,093 and 7,166,685 B2 (Curtin et al.) can be introduced directly into the aqueous polymerization medium or mixed with water to produce a concentrated aqueous dispersion prior to such introduction to provide the dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate. Concentrated aqueous dispersions, whether made directly from the process as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,552,093 and 7,166,685 B2 (Curtin et al.) or made from dried powders, can be produced and stored at concentrations up to 35 wt % solids, are stable for long periods, and can be diluted to any desired concentration with water.

Suitable fluorinated ionomer dispersions may also be available in, for example, mixed solvents of water and lower alcohols as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,082 (Grot). The alcohol content of such dispersions may be reduced or substantially removed using, for example, a rotary evaporator.

Fluoropolymer

“Fluoropolymer” means polymer polymerized from at least one fluorinated monomer and which polymer has no measureable ionic groups, or a limited number of ionic groups providing an ion exchange ratio of greater than about 53, i.e., is nonionomeric fluoropolymer. Precursor groups such as —SO₂F which upon hydrolysis become ionic are not treated as ionic groups for the purposes of determining IXR. Preferred fluoropolymers have no ionic groups, or a limited number of ionic groups providing an ion exchange ratio of greater than about 100. The fluorinated monomer used in the process of this invention is preferably independently selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), trifluoroethylene, hexafluoroisobutylene, perfluoroalkyl ethylene, fluorovinyl ethers, vinyl fluoride (VF), vinylidene fluoride (VF2), perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD), perfluoro-2-methylene-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (PMD), perfluoro(allyl vinyl ether) and perfluoro(butenyl vinyl ether). A preferred perfluoroalkyl ethylene monomer is perfluorobutyl ethylene (PFBE). Preferred fluorovinyl ethers include perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) monomers (PAVE) such as perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE), perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether) (PEVE), and perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether) (PMVE). Non-fluorinated olefinic comonomers such as ethylene and propylene can be copolymerized with fluorinated monomers.

Fluorovinyl ethers also include those useful for introducing functionality into fluoropolymers. In one embodiment of the invention, fluorovinyl ether monomers are employed in polymerization which introduce functional groups which are precursors for ionic groups. These include CF₂═CF—(O—F₂CFR_(f))_(a)—O—CF₂CFR′_(f)SO₂F, wherein R_(f) and R′_(f) are independently selected from F, Cl or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a=0, 1 or 2. Polymers of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,875 (CF₂═CF—O—CF₂CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂CF₂SO₂F, perfluoro(3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonyl fluoride)), and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,545 and 4,940,525 (CF₂═CF—O—CF₂CF₂SO₂F). Another example is CF₂═CF—O—CF₂—CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂CF₂CO₂CH₃, methyl ester of perfluoro(4,7-dioxa-5-methyl-8-nonenecarboxylic acid), disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,631. Functional groups in fluoropolymers incorporating such monomers can be hydrolyzed by known methods after polymerization to form ionic groups. Although it is intended that the unhydrolyzed polymer be considered a fluoropolymer for the purposes of polymerization in accordance with the invention and within the scope of the claims, after polymerization such polymers may become fluorinated ionomer if upon hydrolysis such ionic groups are present in sufficient quantity to provide an IXR of no greater than about 53. Other fluorovinyl ethers with functionality of nitrile, cyanate, carbamate, and phosphoric acid are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,637,748; 6,300,445; and 6,177,196.

The invention is especially useful when producing dispersions of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles including modified PTFE. PTFE and modified PTFE typically have a melt creep viscosity of at least about 1×10⁸ Pa·s and, with such high melt viscosity, the polymer does not flow significantly in the molten state and therefore is not a melt-processible polymer. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) refers to the polymerized tetrafluoroethylene by itself without any significant comonomer present. Modified PTFE refers to copolymers of TFE with such small concentrations of comonomer that the melting point of the resultant polymer is not substantially reduced below that of PTFE. The concentration of such comonomer is preferably less than 1 wt %, more preferably less than 0.5 wt %. A minimum amount of at least about 0.05 wt % is preferably used to have significant effect. The modified PTFE contains a small amount of comonomer modifier which improves film forming capability during baking (fusing), such as perfluoroolefin, notably hexafluoropropylene (HFP) or perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) (PAVE), where the alkyl group contains 1 to 5 carbon atoms, with perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether) (PEVE) and perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE) being preferred. Chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), perfluorobutyl ethylene (PFBE), or other monomer that introduces bulky side groups into the molecule are also included.

The invention is especially useful when producing dispersions of melt-processible fluoropolymer particles. By melt-processible, it is meant that the polymer can be processed in the molten state (i.e., fabricated from the melt into shaped articles such as films, fibers, and tubes etc. that exhibit sufficient strength and toughness to be useful for their intended purpose) using conventional processing equipment such as extruders and injection molding machines. Examples of such melt-processible fluoropolymers include homopolymers such as polychlorotrifluoroethylene or copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and at least one fluorinated copolymerizable monomer (comonomer) present in the polymer usually in sufficient amount to reduce the melting point of the copolymer substantially below that of TFE homopolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), e.g., to a melting temperature no greater than about 315° C.

A melt-processible TFE copolymer typically incorporates an amount of comonomer into the copolymer in order to provide a copolymer which has a melt flow rate (MFR) of about 1-100 g/10 min as measured according to ASTM D-1238 at the temperature which is standard for the specific copolymer. Preferably, the melt viscosity is at least about 10² Pa·s, more preferably, will range from about 10² Pa·s to about 10⁶ Pa·s, most preferably about 10³ to about 10⁵ Pa·s measured at 372° C. by the method of ASTM D-1238 modified as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,618. Additional melt-processible fluoropolymers are the copolymers of ethylene (E) or propylene (P) with TFE or CTFE, notably ETFE, ECTFE and PCTFE.

A preferred melt-processible copolymer formed in the practice of the present invention comprises at least about 60-98 wt % tetrafluoroethylene units and about 2-40 wt % of at least one other monomer. Preferred comonomers with TFE are perfluoroolefin having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, such as hexafluoropropylene (HFP), and/or perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) (PAVE) in which the linear or branched alkyl group contains 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferred PAVE monomers are those in which the alkyl group contains 1, 2, 3 or 4 carbon atoms, and the copolymer can be made using several PAVE monomers. Preferred TFE copolymers include FEP (TFE/HFP copolymer), PFA (TFE/PAVE copolymer), TFE/HFP/PAVE wherein PAVE is PEVE and/or PPVE, MFA (TFE/PMVE/PAVE wherein the alkyl group of PAVE has at least two carbon atoms) and THV (TFE/HFP/VF2).

Further useful polymers are film forming polymers of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and copolymers of vinylidene fluoride as well as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) and copolymers of vinyl fluoride.

The invention is also useful when producing dispersions of fluorocarbon elastomer particles. These elastomers typically have a glass transition temperature below 25° C. and exhibit little or no crystallinity, i.e. they are amorphous at room temperature. In one embodiment of the present invention, fluorocarbon elastomer copolymers made by of the process contain 25 to 70 wt %, based on total weight of the fluorocarbon elastomer, of copolymerized units of a first fluorinated monomer which may be vinylidene fluoride (VF2) or tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) or mixtures thereof. The remaining units in the fluorocarbon elastomers are comprised of one or more additional copolymerized monomers, different from the first monomer, selected from the group consisting of fluorinated monomers, hydrocarbon olefins and mixtures thereof. Fluorocarbon elastomers prepared by the process of the present invention may also, optionally, comprise units of one or more cure site monomers. When present, copolymerized cure site monomers are typically at a level of 0.05 to 7 wt %, based on total weight of fluorocarbon elastomer. Examples of suitable cure site monomers include: i) bromine-, iodine-, or chlorine-containing fluorinated olefins or fluorinated vinyl ethers; ii) nitrile group-containing fluorinated olefins or fluorinated vinyl ethers; iii) perfluoro(2-phenoxypropyl vinyl ether); and iv) non-conjugated dienes.

Preferred TFE based fluorocarbon elastomer copolymers include TFE/PMVE, TFE/PMVE/E, TFE/P and TFE/P/VF2. Preferred VF2 based fluorocarbon elastomer copolymers include VF2/HFP, VF2/HFP/TFE, and VF2/PMVE/TFE. Any of these elastomer copolymers may further comprise units of cure site monomer.

Surfactant

In addition to a dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate, the aqueous polymerization medium used to form the aqueous dispersion of particles of fluoropolymers may further comprise surfactant. The surfactant can be selected from a large group of suitable surfactants including hydrocarbon surfactants, siloxane surfactants, and fluorosurfactants. Suitable hydrocarbon surfactants have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,705 to Araki et al; and JP Patent Publications 2004/358397 and 2004/359870 to Tsuda et al. Suitable siloxane surfactants have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,841,616 to Wille et al. Preferably the surfactant is a fluorosurfactant and more preferably is a fluoroether surfactant.

Examples of fluorosurfactants that may be a component of the polymerization agent are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,848 to Morgan et al. as fluoroalkyl having at most one ether oxygen, preferably perfluoroalkyl, carboxylic acids and salts thereof having 6-20 carbon atoms, preferably 6-12 carbon atoms, such as ammonium perfluorooctanoate and ammonium perfluorononanoate (see Berry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,752). Perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids and salt may also be used. In one embodiment of the invention, perfluoroalkyl ethane sulfonic acids and salts thereof are employed, preferably a compound or a mixture of compounds of the formula F—(—CF₂—CF₂—)_(n)—CH₂CH₂—SO₃M, wherein n is 2-8 and M is a cation having a valence of 1 as described in Khan & Morgan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,618. More preferably, such perfluoroalkyl ethane sulfonic acid surfactant comprises a compound of the formula C₆F₁₃—CH₂CH₂—SO₃M, wherein M is a cation having a valence of 1 as described in Baker & Zipfel, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,688,884 and 5,789,508. Preferably, M in the above formula is NH₄ ⁺.

Additional examples of such fluorosurfactants include perfluoroalkoxy benzene sulfonic acids and salts thereof wherein the perfluoroalkyl component of the perfluoroalkoxy has 4-12 carbon atoms, preferably 7-12 carbon atoms (as described in Morgan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,116). Additional examples of such surfactants also include partially-fluorinated surfactants having internal methylene groups and having the formula R_(f)—(CH₂)_(m)—R′_(f)—COOM wherein m is 1-3, R_(f) is perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkoxy containing 3-8 carbon atoms, R′_(f) is linear or branched perfluoroalkylene containing 1-4 carbon atoms, and M is NH₄, Li, Na, K, or H (as described in Feiring et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,552).

Examples of suitable fluoroether surfactants have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,341 to Garrison; U.S. Patent Publications 2007/0015864, 2007/0015865, and 2007/0015866 to Hintzer et al.; U.S. Patent Publications 2005/0090613 to Maruya et al. and 2006/0281946 to Morita et al.; PCT Patent Publications WO 2007046345 to Higuchi et al., 2007046377 to Funaki et al., 2007046482 to Hoshikawa et al., and 2007/049517 to Matsuoka et al.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aqueous medium comprises less than about 300 ppm of perfluoroalkane carboxylic acid or salt fluorosurfactants having 8 or more carbon atoms, based on the weight of water in the aqueous medium. Perfluoroalkane acid or salt fluorosurfactants having 8 or more carbon atoms include such surfactants having for example 8-14 carbon atoms, e.g., perfluorooctanoic acid and salts and perfluorononanoic acid and salts. More preferably, the aqueous medium comprises less than about 100 ppm of perfluoroalkane carboxylic acid or salt fluorosurfactants having 8 or more carbon atoms, more preferably less than 50 ppm. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aqueous medium is substantially free of perfluoroalkane carboxylic acid or salt fluorosurfactants having 8 or more carbon atoms. Substantially free of perfluoroalkane carboxylic acid or salt fluorosurfactants having 8 or more carbon atoms means that aqueous medium contains no more than about 10 ppm of such fluorosurfactants.

In a preferred embodiment the aqueous polymerization medium contains a short chain fluorosurfactant having the formula:

[R¹—O_(n)-L-A⁻]Y⁺  (I)

wherein:

-   -   R¹ is a linear or branched partially or fully fluorinated         aliphatic group which may contain ether linkages;     -   n is 0 or 1;     -   L is a linear or branched alkylene group which may be         nonfluorinated, partially fluorinated or fully fluorinated and         which may contain ether linkages;     -   A⁻ is an anionic group selected from the group consisting of         carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfonamide anion, and phosphonate; and     -   Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal cation;     -   with the proviso that the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is not         greater than 6 atoms.

“Chain length” as used in this application refers to the number of atoms in the longest linear chain in the hydrophobic tail of the fluorosurfactant employed in the process of this invention. Chain length includes atoms such as oxygen atoms in addition to carbon in the chain of the hydrophobic tail of the surfactant but does not include branches off of the longest linear chain or include atoms of the anionic group, e.g., does not include the carbon in carboxylate. “Short chain” as used in this application refers to a chain length of not greater than 6. “Long chain” refers to a chain length of greater than 6, e.g., fluorosurfactants having a chain length of 7 to 14 atoms.

Preferably, the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is 3 to 6 atoms. In accordance with one preferred form of the invention the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is 4 to 6 atoms. In accordance with another preferred form of the invention the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is 3 to 5 atoms. Most preferably, the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is 4 to 5 atoms.

A preferred class of fluorosurfactants is short chain fluoroether acids or salts, i.e., wherein n is 1 in Formula (I) above. Preferred fluoroether acids or salts in accordance with the invention are fluorosurfactants according to Formula (I) wherein:

R¹ is a linear or branched partially or fully fluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms which may contain ether linkages; and

L is an alkylene group selected from —CX(R²)—, wherein R² is fluorine or perfluoromethyl and X is hydrogen or fluorine, and —CZ¹Z²CZ³Z⁴—, wherein Z¹, Z², Z³, and Z⁴ are independently selected from hydrogen or fluorine.

Fluoroether acids and salts of this type are known. When L is an alkylene group selected from —CX(R²)—, wherein R² is fluorine or perfluoromethyl and X is hydrogen or fluorine, the compound can be made, for example, by hydrolysis of perfluoro-2-alkoxypropionyl fluoride intermediates prepared by reacting alkanoic acid fluorides with hexafluoropropylene oxide as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,843 to Fritz and Selman for use in perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) manufacture. When L is —CZ₂CZ₂—, wherein Z is independently selected from hydrogen or fluorine, routes to making such compounds are generally described In U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,593 (Brice et al.) where fluoro(alkoxypropionic) acids and derivatives are obtained in useful yields from corresponding hydrocarbon alkoxypropionic acids and derivatives by electrochemical fluorination. Fully fluorinated and partially fluorinated products can be separated for example by fractional distillation. Useful teachings for synthesis can also be found in EP 0 148 482 B1 (Ohsaka et al.) for partially fluorinated propoxy propionic acid fluoride which may be further fluorinated or perfluorinated by electrofluorinating the acid fluoride which is then easily converted to an acid or salt.

In accordance with another preferred form of the invention, L in Formula (I) is an alkylene group selected from —CF(CF₃)—, —CF₂—, —CF₂CF₂—, —CHFCF₂—, and —CF₂CHF—.

The fluorosurfactant used in accordance with the invention may be a diether if R1 or L contains ether linkages. Such compounds are made, for example, by the teachings in WO 01/46116 A1 (Hintzer et al.). Preferred fluoroether acids or salts are fluoromonoethers where R¹ and L do not contain ether linkages.

In accordance with another preferred form of the invention, R¹ in Formula (I) is a linear partially or fully fluorinated alkyl group having 2 to 3 carbon atoms. Preferably, R¹ is fully fluorinated.

In accordance with another preferred form of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is highly fluorinated. “Highly fluorinated” in reference to fluorosurfactant means that at least about 50% of the total number of univalent atoms bonded to carbon in the fluorosurfactant are fluorine atoms. More preferably, at least about 75% of the total number of univalent atoms bonded to carbon atoms in the fluorosurfactant are fluorine atoms, most preferably at least about 90%. Perfluorinated surfactants are also preferred for use in accordance with the invention.

In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is a compound of the formula:

[CF₃CF₂CF₂OCF(CF₃)COO⁻]Y⁺  (II)

wherein Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium, or alkali metal cation. This compound is represented by Formula (I) wherein R¹ is CF₃CF₂CF₂—; L is —CF(CF₃)—; A⁻ is carboxylate; and Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal cation. Preferably, Y⁺ is hydrogen or ammonium. A compound of this formula can be obtained from the perfluoro-2-propoxypropionyl fluoride intermediate prepared according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,843 or by dimerization of hexafluoropropylene oxide and subsequent hydrolysis of the resulting acid fluoride to carboxylic acid in the case of the acid and, in the case of the salt, by simultaneous or subsequent reaction with the appropriate base to produce the desired salt. A procedure for dimerization of hexafluoropropylene oxide is disclosed in G.B. Patent 1,292,268.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is a compound of the formula:

[CF₃CF₂OCF(CF₃)COO⁻]Y⁺  (III)

wherein Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium, or alkali metal cation. A compound of this formula can be obtained from the perfluoro-2-ethoxypropionyl fluoride intermediate prepared according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,843 and subsequent hydrolysis of the resulting acid fluoride to carboxylic acid in the case of the acid and, in the case of the salt, by simultaneous or subsequent reaction with the appropriate base to produce the desired salt.

In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is a compound of the formula:

[C₂F₅OCF₂CF₂CF₂COO⁻]Y⁺  (IV)

[C₃F₇OCF₂COO⁻]Y⁺  (V)

[C₃F₇OCF₂CF₂COO⁻]Y⁺  (VI)

[C₃F₇OCF₂CF₂CF₂COO⁻]Y⁺  (VII)

wherein Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium, or alkali metal cation. These compounds can be made, for example, by the procedures described in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0015864 (Hintzer et al.).

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is a compound of Formula (I) wherein n is 0; R¹ and L collectively comprises a perfluoroalkyl group having 4-6 carbons; and A⁻ is sulfonate and sulfonamide anion. In a preferred embodiment of this form of the invention, A⁻ is sulfonamide anion, the sulfonamide compound of Formula (VIII) below:

[C₄F₉SO₂N⁻CH₂CH₂OH]Y⁺  (VIII)

wherein Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium, or alkali metal cation. A surfactant of this formula as the ammonium salt is available commercially from 3M under the trademark NOVEC™ 4200.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the fluorosurfactant is a compound of the formula:

[CF₃CF₂CF₂CF₂CH₂CH₂SO₃ ⁻]Y⁺  (IX)

wherein Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium, or alkali metal cation.

The surfactant can be added to the aqueous polymerization medium prior to, simultaneously with and/or subsequently to the addition of the dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate. In a preferred embodiment, the surfactant is supplied in salt form. If the surfactant is supplied as the corresponding acid, conversion to salt can be accomplished by adding ammonium hydroxide or alkali metal hydroxide, preferably ammonium hydroxide, to a solution of the acid in a quantity sufficient to substantially completely convert the acid to salt form prior to adding the surfactant to the aqueous polymerization medium. Alternatively the surfactant supplied in acid form can be added to the aqueous polymerization medium and subsequently converted to salt form.

Initiators

Polymerization in accordance with the invention employs free radical initiators capable of generating radicals under the conditions of polymerization. As is well known in the art, initiators for use in accordance with the invention are selected based on the type of fluoropolymer and the desired properties to be obtained, e.g., end group type, molecular weight, etc. For some fluoropolymers such as melt-processible TFE copolymers, water-soluble salts of inorganic peracids are employed which produce anionic end groups in the polymer. Preferred initiators of this type have a relatively long half-life at the temperature of polymerization, preferably persulfate salts, e.g., ammonium persulfate or potassium persulfate. To shorten the half-life of persulfate initiators, reducing agents such as ammonium bisulfite or sodium metabisulfite, with or without metal catalyst salts such as iron, can be used. Preferred persulfate initiators are substantially free of metal ions and most preferably are ammonium salts.

For the production of PTFE or modified PTFE dispersions for dispersion end uses, small amounts of short chain dicarboxylic acids such as succinic acid or initiators that produce succinic acid such as disuccinic acid peroxide (DSP) are preferably also added in addition to the relatively long half-life initiators such as persulfate salts. Such short chain dicarboxylic acids are typically beneficial in reducing undispersed polymer (coagulum). For the production of PTFE dispersion for the manufacture of fine powder, a redox initiator system such as potassium permanganate/oxalic acid is often used.

The initiator is added to the aqueous polymerization medium in an amount sufficient to initiate and maintain the polymerization reaction at a desired reaction rate. At least a portion of the initiator is preferably added at the beginning of the polymerization. A variety of modes of addition may be used including continuously throughout the polymerization, or in doses or intervals at predetermined times during the polymerization. A particularly preferred mode of operation is for initiator to be precharged to the reactor and additional initiator to be continuously fed into the reactor as the polymerization proceeds. Preferably, total amounts of ammonium persulfate and/or potassium persulfate employed during the course of polymerization are about 25 ppm to about 250 ppm based on the weight of the aqueous medium. Other types of initiators, for example, potassium permanganate/oxalic acid initiators, can be employed in amounts and in accordance with procedures as known in the art.

Chain Transfer Agents

Chain-transfer agents may be used in a process in accordance with the invention for the polymerization of some types of polymers, e.g., for melt-processible TFE copolymers, to decrease molecular weight for the purposes of controlling melt viscosity. Chain transfer agents useful for this purpose are well-known for use in the polymerization of fluorinated monomers. Preferred chain transfer agents include hydrogen, aliphatic hydrocarbons, halocarbons, hydrohalocarbons or alcohol having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 8 carbon atoms. Representative preferred examples of such chain transfer agents are alkanes such as ethane, chloroform, 1,4-diiodoperfluorobutane and methanol.

The amount of a chain transfer agent and the mode of addition depend on the activity of the particular chain transfer agent and on the desired molecular weight of the polymer product. A variety of modes of addition may be used including a single addition before the start of polymerization, continuously throughout the polymerization, or in doses or intervals at predetermined times during the polymerization. The amount of chain train transfer agent supplied to the polymerization reactor is preferably about 0.005 to about 5 wt %, more preferably from about 0.01 to about 2 wt % based upon the weight of the resulting fluoropolymer.

Process

In the practice of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the process is carried out as a batch process in a pressured reactor. Suitable vertical or horizontal reactors for carrying out the process of the invention are equipped with stirrers for the aqueous medium to provide sufficient contact of gas phase monomers such as TFE for desirable reaction rates and uniform incorporation of comonomers if employed. The reactor preferably includes a cooling jacket surrounding the reactor so that the reaction temperature may be conveniently controlled by circulation of a controlled temperature heat exchange medium.

In a typical process, the reactor is first charged with deionized and deaerated water of the polymerization medium and the fluorinated ionomer particulate is dispersed in the medium. For PTFE homopolymer and modified PTFE, paraffin wax as stabilizer is often added. A suitable procedure for PTFE homopolymer and modified PTFE includes first pressurizing the reactor with TFE. If used, the comonomer such as HFP or perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) is then added. A free-radical initiator solution such as ammonium persulfate solution is then added. For PTFE homopolymer and modified PTFE, a second initiator which is a source of succinic acid such as disuccinyl peroxide may be present in the initiator solution to reduce coagulum. Alternatively, a redox initiator system such as potassium permanganate/oxalic acid is used. The temperature is increased and, once polymerization begins, additional TFE is added to maintain the pressure. The beginning of polymerization is referred to as kickoff and is defined as the point at which gaseous monomer feed pressure is observed to drop substantially, for example, about 5-10 psi (about 35-70 kPa). Comonomer and/or chain transfer agent can also be added as the polymerization proceeds. For some polymerizations, additional monomers, surfactant, and/or initiator may be added during the polymerization.

Batch dispersion polymerizations can be described as proceeding in two phases. The initial period of the reaction can be said to be a nucleation phase during which a given number of particles are established. Subsequently, it can be said that a growth phase occurs in which the predominant action is polymerization of monomer on established particles with little or no formation of new particles. The transition from the nucleation to the growth phase of polymerization occurs smoothly, typically between about 4 and about 10 percent solids in the polymerization of TFE.

The use of fluorinated ionomer in accordance with the invention generally provides sufficient nucleation for the polymerization process and additional nucleating agents are not required. It is not necessary for stabilizing surfactants, if used, to provide additional nucleation although surfactants capable of effective nucleation may be used if desired. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the number of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particles in the particulate introduced into the polymerization medium is preferably selected to control the number of particles formed during the nucleation phase. Preferably, the fluorinated ionomer particulate in the aqueous polymerization medium provides a number of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particles within about 15% of the number of fluoropolymer particles produced by polymerizing the fluorinated monomer. More preferably, the number of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particles is within about 10% of the number of fluoropolymer particles produced by polymerizing, more preferably, the number of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particles is within about 5% of the number of fluoropolymer particles produced by polymerizing. Most preferably, the number of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particles is approximately equal to the number of fluoropolymer particles produced by polymerizing. The amount of fluoropolymer particulate to be employed in a process in accordance with the invention may be determined by estimating the number of fluoropolymer particles to be produced in the process based on particle size and solids content and employing an amount of fluorinated ionomer particulate which provides approximately the same number of particles. If other nucleating agents are also employed in the polymerization, it may be desirable to employ a smaller number of particles of fluorinated ionomer particulate. Typical concentrations of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate are about 1×10¹⁶ particles per liter to about 1×10²⁰ particles per liter.

Preferably, the amount of fluorinated ionomer particulate provided in the aqueous polymerization medium comprises less than about 15 weight % of the fluoropolymer solids to be produced in the process. In more preferred embodiments the amount of fluorinated ionomer particulate provided in the aqueous polymerization medium comprises less than about 10 wt %, and even more preferably less than about 1 wt %, still more preferably about 0.1 wt % of the fluoropolymer solids to be produced in the process and most preferably less than 0.025 wt % of the fluoropolymer solids.

If used, the amount of surfactant employed is dependent upon the desired solids content for the polymerization, the type of surfactant, the type of fluoropolymer being produced, reactor design, etc. The amounts employed can be similar to the amounts employed in conventional polymerizations which do not employ fluorinated ionomer particulate. Typical amounts are about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt % based on the weight of water in the polymerization medium. When a surfactant is used which is capable of effective nucleation, the amount employed typically will be less than the amount employed in a conventional polymerization without the use of fluorinated ionomer particulate.

The solids content of the dispersion upon completion of polymerization can be varied depending upon the intended use for the dispersion. The solids content of fluoropolymer dispersion produced by the process of the invention is preferably at least about 10 wt %. More preferably, the fluoropolymer solids content is at least about 20 wt %. A preferred range for fluoropolymer solids content produced by the process is about 20 wt % to about 65 wt %, even more preferably about 20 wt % to about 55 wt %, most preferably, about 35 wt % to about 55 wt %.

After batch completion (typically several hours) when the desired amount of polymer or solids content has been achieved, the feeds are stopped, the reactor is vented and purged with nitrogen, and the raw dispersion in the vessel is transferred to a cooling vessel.

In a preferred process of the invention, polymerizing produces less than about 13 wt %, more preferably less than about 10 wt %, still more preferably less than 3 wt %, even more preferably less than 1 wt %, most preferably less that about 0.5 wt % of undispersed fluoropolymer (coagulum) based on the total weight of fluoropolymer produced.

In one embodiment of the invention, the aqueous dispersion of fluoropolymer particles has a raw dispersion particle size (RDPS) of from about 10 to about 400 nm, preferably 100 to 350 nm.

The as-polymerized dispersion can be stabilized with anionic, cationic, or nonionic surfactant for certain uses. Typically, however, the as-polymerized dispersion is transferred to a dispersion concentration operation which produces concentrated dispersions stabilized with nonionic surfactants by known methods. Aromatic alcohol ethoxylates as taught in Marks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,953, and in Holmes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,272 can be used as stabilizers. Aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates such as those disclosed in Marks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,953 and Miura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,688 are preferably used in concentrated dispersions stabilized with nonionic surfactants. Particularly preferred nonionic surfactants are a compound or mixture of compounds of the formula:

R(OCH₂CH₂)_(n)OH

wherein R is a branched alkyl, branched alkenyl, cycloalkyl, or cycloalkenyl hydrocarbon group having 8-18 carbon atoms and n is an average value of 5 to 18 as disclosed in Cavanaugh EP 1472307 A1. The stabilized dispersion preferably contains 2-11 wt % nonionic surfactant based on the weight of fluoropolymer solids in the dispersion. Solids content of concentrated dispersion is typically about 35 to about 70 wt %.

Certain grades of PTFE dispersion are made for the production of fine powder. For this use, the as-polymerized dispersion is not stabilized or concentrated and instead is coagulated, the aqueous medium is removed and the PTFE is dried to produce fine powder.

The dispersion polymerization of melt-processible copolymers is similar to PTFE and modified PTFE polymerizations except that comonomer in significant quantity is added to the batch initially and/or introduced during polymerization. Chain transfer agents are typically used in significant amounts to decrease molecular weight, i.e., to increase melt flow rate. The same dispersion concentration operation can be used to produce stabilized concentrated dispersions. Alternatively, for melt-processible fluoropolymers used as molding resin, the dispersion is coagulated and the aqueous medium is removed. The fluoropolymer is dried then processed into a convenient form such as flake, chip or pellet for use in subsequent melt-processing operations.

The process of the invention may also be carried out as a continuous process in a pressurized reactor. A continuous process is especially useful for the manufacture of fluorocarbon elastomers.

In order to improve reaction rate and yield of such a continuous polymerization process, the fluorinated ionomer particulate employed may optionally first be modified in a batch or semi-batch process wherein a small amount of fluoromonomer(s) (i.e. preferably less than 10% of the total quantity of said monomers to be polymerized in the subsequent continuous polymerization, more preferably less than 1%, most preferably less than 0.1%) are polymerized onto the ionomer particulate. This modified particulate is then introduced into the continuous polymerization process for manufacture of fluoropolymer at improved rates and yields.

Polymerization Products

The invention provides particles comprising a bulk of fluoropolymer and a nucleus of fluorinated ionomer. As used in this application, the term “nucleus” means an interior portion of the particle about which fluoropolymer growth takes place as the particle is formed. Such particles are preferably provided as an aqueous dispersion wherein the particles have a number average particle size of about 10 nm to about 400 nm. It is preferred for the particles to comprise less than about 15 wt % fluorinated ionomer. In more preferred embodiments, the particles comprise less than about 10 wt %, and even more preferably less than about 1 wt %, still more preferably about 0.1 wt %, and most preferably less than 0.025 wt % of fluorinated ionomer.

In preferred forms of the invention, the fluoropolymer of the particles is a homopolymer or copolymer of at least one fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), trifluoroethylene, hexafluoroisobutylene, perfluoroalkyl ethylenes, fluorovinyl ethers, vinyl fluoride (VF), vinylidene fluoride (VF2), perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD), perfluoro-2-methylene-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (PMD), perfluoro(allyl vinyl ether) and perfluoro(butenyl vinyl ether). In one embodiment, the fluoropolymer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene having a comonomer content of no greater than about 1 wt %. In another embodiment, the fluoropolymer comprises melt-processible copolymer comprising at least about 60-98 wt % tetrafluoroethylene units and about 2-40 wt % of at least one other monomer. In yet another embodiment, the fluoropolymer comprises fluorocarbon elastomer. Preferred fluorocarbon elastomer comprises copolymers comprising 25 to 70 wt %, based on total weight of the fluorocarbon elastomer, of copolymerized units of a first fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VF2), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and mixtures thereof.

Particles in accordance with the invention comprising a bulk of fluoropolymer and a nucleus of fluorinated ionomer and dispersions thereof can be employed generally in the same manner as conventional fluoropolymer particles and dispersions.

In accordance with one form of the invention, articles are formed from the particles of the invention. When in the form of fine powder, the fluoropolymer is commonly converted to useful articles by a lubricated extrusion (paste extrusion) process. In paste extrusion, the resin is blended with a lubricant and shaped by an extrusion process. After extrusion, the lubricant is removed, and the resultant green shape is fused (sintered) at temperature above the melting point of the PTFE. Articles formed from fine powder resin include paste extruded tubing, wire and cable coatings and sheet or tape. Another article is expanded PFTE films which are made from paste extruded shapes that are rapidly stretched in the unsintered state to form film that is porous to water vapor but not to condensed water, and is useful in material for garments, tenting, separatory membranes, and the like.

In accordance with another form of the invention, articles are formed from melt processable fluoropolymers such as PFA and FEP. Such articles are commonly fabricated by melt extrusion to create coverings for wire and cable, tubing and pipe. Film can be formed by casting the extruded molten film onto a chilled roller. Thin film can be formed by the film blowing technique. In making blown film, molten polymer is continuously extruded upward from a circular die to form a film tube. The film tube is rapidly expanded by internal pressure while the film is still molten and then, at a height above the die where the polymer has cooled and solidified, is nipped or slit and wound up. Small parts can be fabricated by injection molding; these parts can include shapes of considerable complexity that do not require further shaping by machining. Larger shapes can be fabricated by the transfer molding technique, in which an aliquot of resin from a reservoir or “pot” of molten polymer is injected by a plunger into a preheated mold.

In accordance with another form of the invention, coatings are formed from the particles of the invention whether applied as powders or dispersed in water or organic solvents or a mixture thereof.

In yet another form of the invention, an article is provided having a coating formed from an aqueous dispersion of the particles of the invention. Coated articles include cookers and fry pans, oven liners, glass fabric and the like. Other coated articles include valves, wire, metal foil, shoe molds, snow shovels and plows, ship bottoms, chutes, conveyors, dies, tools, industrial containers, molds, lined reactor vessels, automotive panels, heat exchangers, tubing, and the like. Coated articles also include o-rings, gaskets, seals, beading, windshield wipers, and automotive window and door seals, rubber rolls for photocopiers and laser printers including fuser and pressure rolls, rubber belts for photocopiers, and the like. Coated articles further include shower doors, oven and microwave glass, lenses, head lamps, mirrors, automobile windshields, cathode ray tubes such as used in television sets and computer monitors, laboratory glassware, and vials for pharmaceuticals. Additionally, coated articles include flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and light emitting diodes, photoconductor rolls for photocopiers and laser printers, electronic devices wherein coatings are interlayer dielectrics, photomasks, and the like. Moreover, coated articles include statuary, architectural panels and buildings, and the like.

Test Methods

Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of the Fluorinated Ionomer is measured on the polymer in thermoplastic form, e.g., the sulfonyl fluoride or sulfonic acid form for sulfonate ionomers, according to the method of ASTM D-1238-04c at 270° C. with a 2110 gram weight.

Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate Size, Weight Average, is measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Dispersions of the ionomers were diluted from 10× to 100× (vol:vol), but typically 30×, into a dispersant of dimethyl sulfoxide with additives of 0.1 wt % (solids basis) of Zonyl® 1033D (C₆F₁₃CH₂CH₂SO₃H) surfactant and 0.23 wt % ethyldiisopropylamine, which neutralized the Zonyl® and the ionomer end groups to trialklyammonium forms. This dispersant mixture was called “DMSOZE”. The diluted dispersion was filtered through a 1.0 um graded density glass micro fiber syringe filter (Whatman PURADISC® #6783-2510) into a disposable polystyrene cuvette. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was measured at 25° C. using a Malvern Instruments Nano S, which measures scattered light from a HeNe laser at 633 nm at a scattered angle of 173° (close to backscattered). The automated instrument chooses how many 10 s runs make up each measurement (generally 12 to 16), and for each sample ten measurements were performed, the entire process taking usually ˜30 min. For concentrated or highly scattering samples, the instrument may move the focal point of the laser close to the front of the cuvette, minimizing the path length through the sample and thus reducing particle-particle scattering artifacts. However, for almost all the fluorinated ionomer dispersion samples analyzed here, the instrument chose to use a focal position of 4.65 mm, which maximized the path in the cell and enhanced detection of the weak scattering. In addition, the instrument adjusts an attenuator to maintain the count rate in an optimum range. The attenuator settings were 11, 10, or 9, which correspond to light attenuation factors of X1.00 (no attenuation), X0.291, or X0.115, respectively. Various numeric and graphical outputs are available from the Malvern software. The simplest and most robust is the “z-average” particle diameter, calculated from the z-average diffusion coefficient made by a cumulants fit to the autocorrelation function. The name z-average has been used in analogy to the z-average molecular weight Mz, in that the DLS z-average particle size is derived from a distribution of diffusion coefficients weighted by the square of the particle mass M_(i) ². Half of the scattered light Intensity is produced by particles with diameters larger than D(I)50. Using the input refractive index of the particles, dispersant index, wavelength, and scattering angle, the software uses a Mie calculation to convert the intensity distribution to a weight distribution. The weight average diameter is that diameter at which half of the mass of the particles in the sample have a larger diameter and half have a smaller diameter.

Dry coaqulum amount is measured by physically collecting the wet polymer that coagulates during the course of the polymerization and then drying this coagulum overnight at 80° C. and a vacuum of 30 mm Hg (4 kPa). The dried coagulum is weighed and the Weight Percentage of Undispersed Polymer (Coaq. wt %) is determined based on the total weight of fluoropolymer in the dispersion.

Transition Temperatures of Fluoropolymers by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is measured according to ASTM D 3418-03.

Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of the Fluoropolymer Produced in the Process is measured according to ASTM D-1238-94a following the detailed conditions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,630 at 372° C. Comonomer content (PPVE) is measured by FTIR according to the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,658, col. 5, lines 9-23.

Weight % Fluorinated Ionomer in Fluoropolymer Dispersion Particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated by dividing the weight of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate charged to the reactor by the total weight of fluoropolymer in the dispersion.

Fluoropolymer Particle size, i.e., raw dispersion particle size (RDPS) is determined by laser diffraction techniques that measure the particle size distributions (PSD) of materials using a Microtrac Ultrafine Particle Analyzer (UPA). The UPA uses dynamic light scattering principle for measuring PSD with size range of 0.003 micron to 6.54 micron. The samples were analyzed after collecting the background with water. The measurements were repeated three times and averaged.

Perfluoroalkane Carboxylic Acid Or Salt Fluorosurfactant Content is measured by a GC technique in which the fluorosurfactant is esterified with acidic methanol. Perfluoroheptanoic acid is used as an internal standard. Upon addition of electrolyte and hexane the ester is extracted into the upper hexane layer. The hexane layer is analyzed by injection onto a glass GC column of 20 ft.×2 mm I.D. packed with 10% OV-210 on 70/80 mech Chromosorb W.AW.DMCS. held at 120 C. The detector is ECD and the carrier gas of 95% argon/5% methane has a flow rate of 20 to 30 ml/min.

EXAMPLES Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate

Aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate (FI) is prepared according to the procedure described as Example 4 in U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,685, (fluorinated ionomer in the acid form) using TFE/PDMOF fluorinated ionomer resin having an IXR of 12.1 (EW of 950) and a melt flow in its sulfonyl fluoride form of 24. The aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate has a solids content of 21.4 wt % with the fluorinated ionomer particulate having a weight average diameter of 5.23 nm. The ionic groups have a pKa of about 1.9 as measured on the fluorinated ionomer in aqueous dispersion form having 10 wt % solids at room temperature.

Surfactants

Except as indicated, surfactants are employed in the form of aqueous solutions made using deionized water to provide percentages of salt in the solutions indicated below:

Surfactant 1 (S1): CF₃(CF₂)₆COONH₄ (ammonium perfluorooctanoate, APFO), 20 wt % Surfactant 2 (S2): C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)COONH₄ (HFPO dimer acid salt, DAS), 86.4 wt % (Prepared by dropwise addition of 128 g of concentrated ammonium hydroxide solution to 500 g of C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)COOH without subsequent dilution.)

Surfactant 3 (S3): C₃F₇O(CF₂)₂COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 4 (S4): C₃F₇O(CF₂)₃COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 5 (S5): C₂F₅O(CF₂)₃COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 6 (S6): C₂F₅O(CF₂)₂OCF₂COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 7 (S7): C₃F₇(CH₂)₄COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 8 (S8): CF₃(CF₂)₄COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 9 (S9): CF₃(CF₂)₃COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 10 (S10): C₃F₇OCF₂COONH₄, 20 wt % Surfactant 11 (S11): Sodium Octylsulfonate (SOS), 44 wt %

Surfactant 12 (S12): C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)—CH₂—O—PO(OH)O⁻NH₄ ⁺ (HFPO dimer phosphate ester, made according to the process disclosed in WO 2009094344 A1), 20 wt %

Comparative Example 1

A conventional process is illustrated in the polymerization of copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) with perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether), i.e., perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE) using Surfactant 1—APFO as the surfactant in a 1.8 liter reactor.

Surfactant Solution (S1): 20 wt % APFO in deionized water

Initiator Solution: 1.00 g ammonium persulfate (from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation St. Louis, Mo., USA) in 1000 g deionized water (0.1% ammonium persulfate solution).

Deaerated water is used in the polymerization. It is prepared by dispensing deionized water into a 1 gallon plastic vessel and vigorously bubbling nitrogen gas through the water to remove oxygen. The deareated water is removed as needed from this plastic vessel for use in the polymerization.

The reactor is a 1.8 liter (total volume), vertical autoclave made of Hastelloy®. A 45° pitch, downward, propeller-type agitator and a single blade baffle is used for agitation. The bottom of the reactor has a ¼″ port, through which liquid samples may be taken during the course of the reaction. No chain transfer agent is used.

The reactor is charged with a solution of 800 g deaerated water and 6.43 g APFO surfactant solution, by pouring the precharge materials through an open port on the top of the reactor. The surfactant solution is added directly to the reactor in the deaerated water to avoid any cross-contamination that might arise in piping surfactants into the reactor. The deaerated water and APFO solution make up the reactor precharge.

After precharging the solution to the reactor, the computer program, which controls the operations of the reactor, is started and the vessel is agitated at 100 RPM. At the beginning of the polymerization, agitation is increased to 870 rpm and the reactor is purged three times by pressurization with nitrogen gas to 250 PSIG (1723 kPa) followed by venting to 1 PSIG (7 kPa) to reduce oxygen content. While continuing to agitate the reactor at 870 rpm, the system is purged three more times by pressurization with gaseous tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) to 40 PSIG (274 kPa) followed by venting to 1 PSIG (7 kPa), further insuring that the contents of the autoclave are free of oxygen. The reactor is then heated to 75° C. Perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE) (13.6 ml) is pumped as a liquid into the reactor for one minute at the constant rate of 13.6 ml/min, via a 100 ml capacity syringe pump sold by Teledyne Isco.

The temperature within the reactor is maintained throughout the polymerization at 75° C. When the precharge of PPVE has been fed and the reactor temperature is stabilized at 75° C., the reactor pressure is raised to 350 PSIG (2.4 MPa), by adding TFE through a pressure regulator into the reactor. When the reactor reaches 350 PSIG, the TFE supply to the reactor is valved off. Pumping of the initiator solution (APS) into the reactor is simultaneously initiated at a rate of 80 ml/min for 24 seconds followed by a rate of 0.4 ml/min. until the end of the batch.

At kickoff (the point at which a 10 PSIG (69 kPa) pressure drop is observed) the polymerization is deemed to have been started, which is also the start point for feeding PPVE at a rate of 0.128 ml/min. for the rest of the polymerization. Reactor pressure is kept constant at 350 PSIG (2.4 MPa) by feeding TFE as needed throughout the entire polymerization. The sampling mechanism on the reactor allows for four liquid samples of about 10 ml/each to be taken during the course of the reaction.

The batch end is defined as the point at which 144 g of TFE has been fed to the reactor through a mass flow controller. After 144 g of TFE is consumed, all feeds to the reactor are shut off, and the contents are cooled to 30° C. over the course of about 15 minutes. The agitation is reduced to 100 rpm and the reactor is then vented to atmospheric pressure and purged 3 times with N₂ to 150 PSIG.

The fluoropolymer dispersion produced has a solids content of 15.34 wt %.

Polymer is isolated from the dispersion by freezing, thawing and filtration. The polymer is washed with deionized water and filtered several times before being dried overnight in a vacuum oven at 80° C. and a vacuum of 30 mm Hg (4 kPa). Reaction conditions and polymer properties are reported in Tables 1a and 1b.

Example 1 TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate

This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/PPVE copolymer in the presence of dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer in a 1.8 liter reactor.

The general procedure of Comparative Example 1 is followed except that a solution of APFO is not employed. Instead, a solution made from 800 g deareated water and 2.00 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above is added to the reactor as the precharge. PPVE, TFE and APS were added as in Comparative Example 1 until 140 g of TFE had been consumed. Reaction conditions and polymer properties are reported in Tables 1a and 1b.

TABLE 1a TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate Amount Surfactant Amount Run Surfactant or FI Solution TFE Kickoff Time Example or FI g g min min Comp Ex 1 APFO (S1) 6.42 144 8 90 Ex 1 Fluorinated 2.00 140 7.5 200 Ionomer

TABLE 1b TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate Surfactant RDPS Solids FI Nucleus Dry Coag Coag DSC PPVE Ex. No. or FI nm % wt % g wt % (° C.) wt % Comp Ex 1 APFO (S1) 105 15.3 0.00 7.2 8.0 322.74 6 Ex 1 Fluorinated 98 17.9 0.32 0.3 0.2 321.26 14.8 Ionomer

Comparative Example 2

A conventional process is illustrated in the polymerization of copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) with perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether), i.e., perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE) using Surfactant 1—APFO as the surfactant in a 1 gallon horizontal autoclave.

Surfactant Solution (S1): 20 wt % APFO in deionized water

Initiator Solution: 1.5 g ammonium persulfate (from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation St. Louis, Mo., USA) in 1498.5 g deionized water (0.1% ammonium persulfate solution).

Deaerated water is used in the polymerization. It is prepared by pumping deionized water into a large plastic vessel and vigorously bubbling nitrogen gas through the water to remove all oxygen. The deareated water is removed as needed from this plastic vessel for use in the polymerization.

The reactor is a 1 gallon horizontal autoclave made of Hastelloy®, equipped with an extended anchor-type agitator, which has a central shaft in the middle that runs the length of the clave. The end furthest from the drive is closed and the outer blades sweep the inside of the clave body within an inch or two of the interior wall. No chain transfer agent is used.

The reactor is charged by means of a syringe pump with 1850 g of deaerated water. Through an open port, 25.7 g of the 20% APFO surfactant solution is pipetted into the reactor. The surfactant is added directly to the reactor from the pipette to avoid any cross-contamination that might arise in piping surfactants into the reactor. The deaerated water and APFO solution make up the reactor precharge.

The vessel is agitated at 100 RPM for 3-5 minutes and then the agitator is stopped. The reactor is then purged three times (agitator off) by pressurization with nitrogen gas to 80 PSIG (650 kPa) followed by venting to 1 PSIG (108 kPa) to reduce oxygen content. It is further purged three times (agitator off) by pressurization with gaseous tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) to 25 PSIG (274 kPa) followed by venting to 1 PSIG (108 kPa) further insuring that the contents of the autoclave are free of oxygen. The agitator rate is then increased to 100 RPM, the reactor is heated to 75° C., and then perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (PPVE) (31.5 ml) is pumped as a liquid into the reactor for one minute at the constant rate of 31.5 ml/min.

When the vessel temperature equilibrates at 75° C., the reactor pressure is raised to a nominal 250 PSIG (1.83 MPa) by adding TFE through a pressure regulator into the reactor. Initiator Solution is then pumped to the reactor at a rate of 105.7 ml/min for 1 min. followed by a rate of 1.01 ml/min. until the end of the batch, which is defined as the point at which 333 g of TFE are fed to the reactor through a mass flow controller.

At kickoff (the point at which a 10 PSIG (70 kPa) pressure drop is observed) the polymerization is deemed to have been started, which is also the start point for feeding PPVE at a rate of 0.30 g/min. for the rest of the polymerization. Reactor pressure is kept constant at 250 PSIG (1.83 MPa) by feeding TFE as needed throughout the entire polymerization.

After 333 g of TFE are consumed, all feeds to the reactor are shut off, and the contents are cooled to 30° C. over the course of about 90 minutes. The reactor is then vented to atmospheric pressure.

The fluoropolymer dispersion thus produced has a solids content of 21.78 wt %.

Polymer is isolated from the dispersion by freezing, thawing and filtration. The polymer is washed with deionized water and filtered several times before being dried overnight in a vacuum oven at 80° C. and a vacuum of 30 mm Hg (4 kPa). Reaction conditions and polymer properties are reported in Tables 2a and 2b.

Example 2 TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant

This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/PPVE copolymer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate in combination with a variety of different fluorosurfactants in a 1 gallon horizontal autoclave.

The general procedure of Comparative Example 2 is followed except that a solution of APFO is not employed. Instead, the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above and an aqueous solution of surfactant in the concentrations indicated above and in the amounts as indicated in Table 2a are precharged to the reactor. Reaction conditions and polymer properties are reported in Tables 2a and 2b.

TABLE 2a TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant Amount FI/Surf. Amount Est. conc. of Amount Run Solution TFE FI particles Surfactant Kickoff Time Ex. No. FI/Surf. g g #/liter mmol/kg* min min Comp 2 S1 (APFO)   0/79.6 335 0 17.5 8 83 Ex 2a FI/S2 2.4/11.8 336 3.2E17 14 3 65 Ex 2b FI/S3 2.4/73.2 336 3.2E17 14 3 67 Ex 2c FI/S4 2.4/84.0 337 3.2E17 14 2 62 Ex 2d FI/S5 2.4/46.8 335 3.2E17 9 2 65 Ex 2e FI/S6 2.4/76.8 338 3.2E17 14 3 59 Ex 2f FI/S7 2.4/37.2 272 3.2E17 7 6 147 Ex 2g FI/S8 2.4/34.3 343 3.2E17 7 2 61 Ex 2h FI/S9 7.2/27.6 326 9.6E17 7 8 77 Ex 2i FI/S10 7.2/30.8 329 9.6E17 7 3 68 *Based on the weight of the fluoropolymer dispersion produced

TABLE 2b TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant Est. conc. of RDPS Solids FI Nucl Dry Coag Coag DSC PPVE polymer particle Ex. No. FI/Surf. nm % wt % G % (° C.) wt % #/liter Comp 2 S1 (APFO) 93 21.78 0.000 88.7 15.2% 326.2 12.5 3.1E17 2a FI/S2 76 21.54 0.090 21.8 3.8% 323.1 7.1 5.6E17 2b FI/S3 93 20.62 0.094 21.9 4.0% 323.7 8.7 2.9E17 2c FI/S4 90 20.12 0.088 72.5 12.6% 324.2 8.7 3.2E17 2d FI/S5 97 21.69 0.088 10 1.7% 322.8 6.6 2.7E17 2e FI/S6 95 21.78 0.092 23.8 4.3% 323.3 6.8 2.9E17 2f FI/S7 106 25.87 0.073 6.4 0.9% 324.8 10.9 2.5E17 2g FI/S8 78 24.02 0.094 1.1 0.2% 322.6 8.3 5.8E17 2h FI/S9 24 22.43 0.263 4.1 0.7% 322 7.3 1.9E19 2i FI/S10 106 23.58 0.289 1.6 0.3% 322.8 6.3 2.3E17

Example 3 TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant

This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/PPVE copolymer in the presence of a variety of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate with differing molecular weights and equivalent weights and made using differing dissolution conditions, each in combination with a short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS), in a 1 gallon horizontal autoclave.

The general procedure of Comparative Example 2 is followed except that a solution of APFO is not employed. Instead, the various dispersions of fluorinated ionomer particulate described in Table 3a are precharged to the reactor in amounts to provide the estimated concentration of fluorinate ionomer particles and the 86.4% aqueous solution of Surfactant 2 (DAS) is precharged to the reactor to provide a concentration of about 7 mmol/kg based on the weight to fluoropolymer dispersion produced. Dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate properties, reaction conditions and polymer properties are reported in Tables 3a, 3b and 3c.

TABLE 3a TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Various Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS) FI Dissolution FI Dissolution Weight Average FI Est. Conc. of FI Equivalent FI Melt Temp Time Particle Diameter FI Particles Ex. No. Weight/IXR Flow C. min nm #/liter Ex 3a 950/12.1 n/m* 270 <5 5.23 3.2E17 Ex 3b 1000/13.1  n/m* 270 <5 5.53 3.2E17 Ex 3c 939/11.9   18.6 270 30 5.67 3.2E17 Ex 3d 987/12.9 24 300 5 5.41 3.2E17 Ex 3e 1005/13.2  16 270 5 5.84 3.2E17 Ex 3f 987/12.9 24 270 5 5.31 3.2E17 Ex 3g 1446/22.0  n/m* 300 5 8.40 3.2E17 Ex 3h 993/13.0 34 270 5 5.45 3.2E17 Ex 31 987/12.9 24 270 480 5.20 3.2E17 Ex 3j 1201/17.1  10 300 5 6.22 3.2E17 Ex 3k 987/12.9 24 210 5 5.91 3.2E17 Ex 3l 987/12.9 24 270 5 5.41 3.2E17 Ex 3m 987/12.9 24 240 5 2.55 3.2E17 *n/m = not measured

TABLE 3b TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS) Amount TFE Kickoff Run Time Ex. No. g min min Ex 3a 326 3 80 Ex 3b 335 3 75 Ex 3c 366 4 66 Ex 3d 314 1 57 Ex 3e 325 3 67 Ex 3f 334 2 72 Ex 3g 333 3 91 Ex 3h 323 1 63 Ex 31 325 2 56 Ex 3j 327 1 74 Ex 3k 335 2 83 Ex 3l 330 2 69 Ex 3m 337 1 69

TABLE 3c TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS) Est. conc. of RDPS Solids FI Nucleus Dry Coag Coag DSC PPVE polymer particle Ex. No. nm % wt % g % (° C.) wt % #/liter Ex 3a 92 24.1 0.081 5.0 0.8 323.7 9.5 3.6E17 Ex 3b 88 23.8 0.096 11.8 1.9 322.8 7.5 4.0E17 Ex 3c 88 25.0 0.115 8.4 1.5 321.4 3.2 4.2E17 Ex 3d 92 21.7 0.102 4.2 0.8 322.3 5.8 3.2E17 Ex 3e 82 22.2 0.122 8.0 1.4 322.3 6.2 4.6E17 Ex 3f 87 22.3 0.083 3.2 0.5 322.8 6.0 3.9E17 Ex 3g 61 25.2 0.311 3.2 0.5 322.2 6.4 1.3E18 Ex 3h 85 22.9 0.098 2.9 0.5 322.2 4.9 4.3E17 Ex 31 81 22.6 0.087 2.3 0.4 323.3 5.9 4.9E17 Ex 3j 79 23.6 0.140 1.9 0.3 322.8 7.2 5.5E17 Ex 3k 75 24.1 0.122 2.1 0.3 323.2 7.9 6.6E17 Ex 3l 85 22.0 0.106 2.1 0.4 323.2 6.4 4.1E17 Ex 3m 107 22.8 0.010 8.9 1.5 324.0 5.9 2.1E17

Example 4 TFE/PPVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/PPVE copolymer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and a short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS) in a 1 gallon horizontal reactor.

A cylindrical, horizontal, water-jacketed, paddle-stirred, stainless steel reactor having a length to diameter ratio of about 3.0 and a water capacity of 1 gallon (3.79 liter) is charged with 2000 ml of deionized water, 1 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above, and 3.54 g of Surfactant 2 (DAS) (86.4% wt % solution HFPO dimer acid salt). With the reactor paddle agitated at 125 rpm, the reactor is evacuated and purged three times with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) at 25° C. Ethane is added to the reactor until the pressure is 8 in Hg (3.93 psig, 0.0271 MPa), then the temperature of the reactor is raised to 75° C. After the temperature has become steady at 75° C., twenty milliliters of perfluoropropyl vinyl ether (PPVE) are added, then the pressure in the reactor is raised to 300 psig (2.07 MPa) with TFE. Forty milliliters of a freshly prepared aqueous initiator solution containing 0.20 wt % ammonium persulfate are charged to the reactor. This same initiator solution is pumped into the reactor at 0.5 ml/min for the remainder of the batch. After polymerization had begun, as indicated by a 10 psig (0.07 MPa) drop in reactor pressure, additional TFE is added to the reactor at a rate of 0.0167 lb/min (7.56 g/min) until a total of 2.0 lb (907.2 g) of TFE are added after kickoff. PPVE is added at 0.2 ml/min for the duration of the batch, 120 min. At the end of the reaction period, the TFE, PPVE, and initiator feeds are stopped and the reaction vessel is vented. The amount of raw dispersion obtained is 3006 g. Solids content of the dispersion is 31.4 wt %, and the raw dispersion particle size (RDPS) is 150 nm. The wt % of undispersed polymer is 2.3%. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.023 wt %.

The dispersion is coagulated by freezing and subsequently thawing. After coagulation, the polymer is isolated by filtering and then dried in a 150° C. convection air oven. This PPVE/TFE copolymer had a melt flow rate (MFR) of 6.9 g/10 min, a PPVE content of 2.78 wt %, a melting point of 311° C., and an MIT flex life of 4880 cycles.

Example 5 TFE/HFP/PEVE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/HFP/PEVE copolymer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and a short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS) in a 1 gallon horizontal reactor.

A cylindrical, horizontal, water-jacketed, paddle-stirred, stainless steel reactor having a length to diameter ratio of about 3.0 and a water capacity of 1 gallon (3.79 l) is charged with 2000 ml of dimineralized water, 0.6 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above, and 6.2 g of Surfactant 2 (DAS) (86.4% wt % solution HFPO dimer acid salt). With the reactor paddle agitated at 125 rpm, the reactor is heated to 65° C., evacuated and purged three times with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). The reactor temperature then is increased to 103° C. After the temperature had become steady at 103° C., hexafluoropropylene (HFP) is added slowly to the reactor until the pressure is 430 psig (2.96 MPa). After the temperature had equilibrated again to 103° C., 9.2 milliliters of liquid PEVE is injected into the reactor. TFE is added to the reactor to achieve a final pressure of 630 psig (4.34 MPa). Then 4.0 ml of freshly prepared aqueous initiator solution containing 4.4 wt % of ammonium persulfate (APS) is injected. This same initiator solution is pumped into the reactor at 0.4 ml/min for the remainder of the polymerization. After polymerization had begun as indicated by a 10 psig (0.07 MPa) drop in reactor pressure, additional TFE is added to the reactor at a rate of 0.017 lb/min (7.71 g/min) until a total of 2.13 lbs (966 g) of TFE had been added to the reactor after kickoff. Furthermore, liquid PEVE is added at a rate of 0.1 ml/min for the duration of the reaction. The total reaction time is 125 min after initiation of polymerization. At the end of the reaction period, the TFE feed, PEVE feed, and the initiator feed are stopped, and the reactor is cooled while maintaining agitation. When the temperature of the reactor contents reached 90° C., the reactor is slowly vented. After venting to nearly atmospheric pressure, the reactor is purged with nitrogen to remove residual monomer. Upon further cooling, the dispersion is discharged from the reactor at below 70° C. The amount of raw dispersion obtained is 2892 g. Solids content of the dispersion is 36.8 wt % and raw dispersion particle size (RDPS) is 177 nm. The wt % of undispersed polymer is 7.0%. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.012 wt %.

The dispersion is coagulated by freezing and subsequently thawing. After coagulation, the polymer is isolated by filtering and then drying in a 150° C. convection air oven. This polymer is stabilized by heating at 260° C. for 1.5 hr in humid air containing 13 mol % water. The TFE/HFP/PEVE terpolymer had a melt flow rate (MFR) of 14.8 g/10 min, an HFP content of 10.15 wt %, a PEVE content of 0.77 wt %, and a melting point of 250.7° C. This example demonstrates the polymerization of TFE/HFP/PEVE in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and short chain surfactant.

Example 6 PTFE Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of PTFE in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and a short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS).

A cylindrical, horizontal, water-jacketed, paddle-stirred, stainless steel reactor having a length to diameter ratio of about 3.0 and a water capacity of 1 gallon (3.79 liter) is charged with 1800 ml of dimineralized water, 0.13 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above, and 9.3 g of Surfactant 2 (DAS) (86.4% wt % solution HFPO dimer acid salt). Additionally, 90 grams of paraffin wax, and 0.65 ml of a solution containing 1.42 g FeCl₂.4H₂O and 0.1 ml HCl per 100 ml water are added. With the reactor paddle agitated at 125 rpm, the reactor is heated to 65° C., then evacuated and purged three times with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). Next, 6.3 ml of a 1 wt % solution of methanol in water, and 0.75 ml of a 1 wt % aqueous solution of Triton® X-100 are added. The reactor temperature is increased to 90° C. After the temperature equilibrated to 90° C., the pressure in the autoclave is raised to 370 psi (2.55 MPa) using TFE, then 40 ml of a solution composed of 6.2 wt % disuccinyl peroxide (DSP) and 0.046 wt % ammonium persulfate (APS) are added at a rate of 6 ml/min. After polymerization had begun, as indicated by a 10 psig (0.07 MPa) drop in reactor pressure, additional TFE is added to the reactor at to maintain the desired pressure of 370 psi (2.55 MPa), while limiting TFE consumption to no more than 0.06 lb/min (27.2 g/min) by varying agitator speed. After 0.3 lbs (136.1 g) of TFE had reacted, additional Surfactant 2 (DAS), 100 ml of a 6.22 wt % aqueous solution of HFPO dimer acid salt, is added at a rate of 5 ml/min. After 2.8 lbs (1270 g) of TFE had been consumed, the reaction is terminated by stopping the TFE. The duration of the reaction is 55 min. The contents are discharged from the polykettle and the supernatant wax is removed. The amount of raw dispersion obtained is 3142 g. The solids content of the raw dispersion is 39.3 wt % and the raw dispersion particle size (RDPS) is 221 nm. The wt % of undispersed polymer is 4.4%. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.00225 wt %.

The dispersion is coagulated by freezing and subsequently thawing. After coagulation, the polymer is isolated by filtering and then drying in a 150° C. convection air oven. The PTFE resin had a standard specific gravity (SSG) of 2.237.

Example 7 Perfluoroelastomer Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of a perfluoroelastomer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS).

A perfluoroelastomer containing copolymerized monomers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE), and perfluoro-8(cyano-5-methyl-3,6-dioxa-1-octene) (8CNVE) is prepared as follows: three aqueous streams are each fed continuously to a 1 liter mechanically stirred, water jacketed, stainless steel autoclave at a rate of 81 cc/hr. The first stream consisted of 2.7 g ammonium persulfate and 35.3 g of disodium phosphate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water. The second consisted of 11.25 g of the HFPO dimer acid per liter of deionized water. The third stream consisted of 13.2 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above per liter of deionized water. Using a diaphragm compressor, a mixture of TFE (56.3 g/hr) and PMVE (68.6 g/hr) is fed at constant rate. The liquid monomer, 8CNVE, is fed separately at a rate of 3.4 g/hr. The temperature is maintained at 85° C., the pressure at 4.1 MPa (600 psi), and the pH at 6.3 throughout the reaction. The polymer emulsion is removed continuously by means of a letdown valve and the unreacted monomers are vented. The polymer is isolated from the emulsion by first diluting it with deionized water at the rate of 8 liter deionized water per liter of emulsion, followed by addition of 320 cc of a magnesium sulfate solution (100 g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water) per liter of emulsion at a temperature of 60° C. The resulting slurry is filtered, and the polymer solids obtained from a liter of emulsion are re-dispersed in 8 liters of deionized water at 60° C. After filtering, the wet crumb is dried in a forced air oven for 48 hr at 70° C. Polymer yield is approximately 103 g per hour of reactor operation. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.22 wt %. The polymer composition is 45.1 wt % PMVE, 1.48 wt % 8CNVE, the remainder being tetrafluoroethylene. The polymer has an inherent viscosity of 0.88 measured in a solution of 0.1 g polymer in 100 g of “Flutec” PP-11 (F2 Chemicals Ltd., Preston, UK) at 30° C.

Example 8 Perfluoroelastomer Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 11 (SOS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of a perfluoroelastomer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and hydrocarbon surfactant (Surfactant 11—SOS).

A perfluoroelastomer containing copolymerized monomers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE), and perfluoro-8(cyano-5-methyl-3,6-dioxa-1-octene) (8CNVE) is prepared as follows: three aqueous streams are each fed continuously to a 1 liter mechanically stirred, water jacketed, stainless steel autoclave at a rate of 81 cc/hr. The first stream consisted of 3.7 g ammonium persulfate and 47.1 g of disodium phosphate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water. The second consisted of 6.82 g of sodium octylsulfonate (SOS) solution (Witconate NAS-8, 44 wt % aqueous solution of sodium octylsulfonate, Akzo Nobel Surfactants, Chicago, Ill.) per liter of deionized water. The third stream consisted of 13.2 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above per liter of deionized water. Using a diaphragm compressor, a mixture of TFE (56.3 g/hr) and PMVE (68.6 g/hr) is fed at constant rate. The liquid monomer, 8CNVE, is fed separately at a rate of 3.4 g/hr. The temperature is maintained at 85° C., the pressure at 4.1 MPa (600 psi), and the pH at 6.7 throughout the reaction. The polymer emulsion is removed continuously by means of a letdown valve and the unreacted monomers are vented. The polymer is isolated from the emulsion by first diluting it with deionized water at the rate of 8 liter deionized water per liter of emulsion, followed by addition of 320 cc of a magnesium sulfate solution (100 g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water) per liter of emulsion at a temperature of 60° C. The resulting slurry is filtered, and the polymer solids obtained from a liter of emulsion are re-dispersed in 8 liters of deionized water at 60° C. After filtering, the wet crumb is dried in a forced air oven for 48 hr at 70° C. Polymer yield is approximately 85 g per hour of reactor operation. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.29 wt %. The polymer composition is 39.5 wt % PMVE, 1.50 wt % 8CNVE, the remainder being tetrafluoroethylene. The polymer had an inherent viscosity of 0.93 measured in a solution of 0.1 g polymer in 100 g of “Flutec” PP-11 (F2 Chemicals Ltd., Preston, UK) at 30° C.

Example 9 Fluoroelastomer Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 2 (DAS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of a fluoroelastomer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and short chain fluoroether surfactant (Surfactant 2—DAS). A fluoroelastomer containing copolymerized monomers of vinylidene fluoride (VF2), hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) is prepared in this example.

A solution of 25 liters water, 30 g of C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)COOH, 5 g ammonium hydroxide, 30 g disodium phosphate heptahydrate, and 11.0 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above is charged to a 40 liter reactor. The solution is heated to 80° C. After removal of trace oxygen, the reactor is pressurized to 2.1 MPa with a mixture of 3.9 wt % vinylidene fluoride (VF2), 86.1 wt % hexafluoropropene (HFP), and 10.0 wt % tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). The reactor is charged with 50.0 ml of an initiator solution of 1% ammonium persulfate and 5% disodium phosphate heptahydrate to start polymerization. As the reactor pressure dropped, a mixture of 35.0 wt % vinylidene fluoride, 37.1 wt % hexafluoropropene, and 27.9 wt % tetrafluoroethylene is fed to the reactor to maintain a 2.0 MPa pressure. After 45 g of this monomer mixture is fed, 26.0 g of a mixture of 37.29 mol % 1,4-diiodoperfluorobutane, 46.38 mol % 1,6-diiodoperfluorohexane, 11.98 mol % 1,8-diiodoperfluorooctane, and 3.76 mol % 1,10-diiodoperfluorodecane is charged to the reactor. Additional initiator solution is added to maintain polymerization rate. After 3700 g of the monomer mixture had been added, 4-iodo-3,3,4,4-tetrafluorobutene-1 (ITFB) is introduced to the reactor at a feed rate of 5.0 g ITFB per 1000 g monomer. After a total of 8333 g incremental major monomer is fed, corresponding to a total of 198 ml initiator solution, 20.4 g ITFB and 13 hours, monomer and initiator fed is discontinued. The reactor is cooled and the pressure in the reactor is reduced to atmospheric. The resulting fluoroelastomer latex has a solids content of 23.7 wt. % solids, a pH of 3.4. The latex is coagulated with aluminum sulfate solution, washed with deionized water, and dried. The fluoroelastomer has an inherent viscosity of 0.52 dl/g, a Mooney viscosity, ML (1+10) at 121 C, of 73 and contains 35.6 wt % VF2, 34.9 wt % HFP, 29.2 wt % TFE and 0.21 wt % I. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.028 wt %.

Example 10 Fluoroelastomer Polymerization Using Dispersed Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 11 (SOS)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of a fluoroelastomer in the presence of dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate and hydrocarbon surfactant (Surfactant 11—SOS). A fluoroelastomer containing copolymerized monomers of ethylene (E), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE) is prepared in this example.

A solution of 25.5 g disodium phosphate heptahydrate, 12.0 g of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above, and 27 liters of deionized, deoxygenated water is prepared, and 25 liters of this solution is charged to a 40 liter reactor. The solution is heated to 80° C. After removal of trace oxygen, the reactor is pressurized to 2.1 MPa with a mixture of 30 wt % tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and 70 wt % perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE). The reactor is charged with 55.0 ml of an initiator solution of 1% ammonium persulfate and 0.35 wt % sodium hydroxide to start polymerization. As the reactor pressure drops, a mixture of 7.7 wt % ethylene (E), 44.3 wt % TFE, and 47.9 wt % PMVE is fed to the reactor to maintain a 2.1 MPa pressure. After 90 g of this monomer mixture is fed, 28.0 g of a mixture of 37.29 mol % 1,4-diiodoperfluorobutane, 46.38 mol % 1,6-diiodoperfluorohexane, 11.98 mol % 1,8-diiodoperfluorooctane, and 3.76 mol % 1,10-diiodoperfluorodecane is charged to the reactor. Additional initiator solution is added to maintain polymerization rate. After 800 g of monomer mixture is fed, an aqueous solution of sodium octylsulfonate (SOS) (10 wt % SOS) is fed to the reactor at a feed rate of 60 ml per 3000 g monomer. After 7000 g of the monomer mixture had been added, SOS feed is stopped. After a total of 8696 g incremental major monomer is fed, corresponding to a total of 745 ml initiator solution and 26 hours, monomer and initiator fed is discontinued. The reactor is cooled and the pressure in the reactor reduced to atmospheric. The resulting fluoroelastomer latex has a solids content of 18 wt. % solids, and a pH of 3.4. The latex is coagulated with aluminum sulfate solution, washed with deionized water, and dried. The fluoroelastomer has a Mooney viscosity, ML (1+10) at 121 C, of 74 and contains 46.2 wt % TFE, 42.2 PMVE, 11.4 wt % E, and 0.18 wt % I. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.03 wt %.

Example 11 Perfluoroelastomer Polymerization Using Dispersed Modified Fluorinated Ionomer Particulate and Surfactant 12 (HFPO Dimer Phosphate Ester)

This example demonstrates the polymerization of a perfluoroelastomer in a continuous stirred reactor in the presence of a dispersed modified fluorinated ionomer particulate and a fluorosurfactant (Surfactant 12—HFPO Dimer Phosphate Ester).

The fluorinated ionomer particulate is modified by the following procedure. A solution of 1850 g water, 32.2 g of Surfactant 12 (C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)—CH₂—O—PO(OH)O⁻NH₄ ⁺) and 45 ml of the 21.4 wt % aqueous dispersion of fluorinated ionomer particulate described above is charged to a 3.79 liter reactor. The solution is heated to 75° C. After removal of trace oxygen, the reactor is pressurized to 2.07 MPa with a mixture of perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in a ratio of 55/45 by weight. The reactor is charged with 105.7 ml of a 1 wt % ammonium persulfate initiator solution and then 1.01 ml/minute of the initiator solution is fed to the reactor until 50 g total of TFE and PMVE has been consumed. During the reaction, the reactor is charged with a mixture of perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in a ratio of 55/45 by weight in order to maintain the reactor pressure at 2.07 MPa. The resulting dispersion of modified fluorinated ionomer particulate contains 5.08 wt % solids. The weight average diameter of the modified particulate is 34.2 nm (vs. 5.23 nm diameter of the original particulate). In addition to the copolymerized TFE/PMVE coating, this increase in particulate size implies some agglomeration.

A perfluoroelastomer containing copolymerized monomers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), perfluoro(methyl vinyl)ether (PMVE), and perfluoro-8(cyano-5-methyl-3,6-dioxa-1-octene) (8CNVE) is prepared as follows: three aqueous streams are each fed continuously to a 1 liter mechanically stirred, water jacketed, stainless steel autoclave. The first stream, fed at a rate of 95 milliliters per hour (ml/hr), consists of 1.93 g ammonium persulfate and 6.93 g of disodium phosphate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water. The second stream, fed at a rate of 81 ml/hr, consists of 30 g of Surfactant 12 (C₃F₇OCF(CF₃)—CH₂—O—PO(OH)O⁻NH₄ ⁺) per liter of deionized water. The third stream, fed at a rate of 67 ml/hr, consists of a 5.08 wt % aqueous dispersion of the modified fluorinated ionomer particulate prepared above. Using a diaphragm compressor, a mixture of TFE (56.3 g/hr) and PMVE (68.6 g/hr) is fed at constant rate. The liquid monomer, 8CNVE, is fed separately at a rate of 3.4 g/hr. The temperature is maintained at 85° C., the pressure at 4.1 MPa (600 psi), and the pH at 3.5 throughout the reaction. The polymer emulsion is removed continuously by means of a letdown valve and the unreacted monomers were vented. The polymer is isolated from the emulsion by first diluting it with deionized water at the rate of 8 liters deionized water per liter of emulsion, followed by addition of 530 cc of a magnesium sulfate solution (100 g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate per liter of deionized water) per liter of emulsion at a temperature of 60° C. The resulting slurry is filtered, and the polymer solids obtained from a liter of emulsion were re-dispersed in 8 liters of deionized water at 60° C. After filtering, the wet crumb is dried in a forced air oven for 48 hr at 70° C. Polymer yield is approximately 133 g per hour of reactor operation. The wt % of fluorinated ionomer in the dispersion particles (FI Nucleus) is calculated to be 0.0026 wt %. The polymer composition is 49.6 wt % PMVE, 2.34 wt % 8CNVE, the remainder being tetrafluoroethylene. The polymer has an inherent viscosity of 0.75 measured in a solution of 0.1 g polymer in 100 g of Flutec PP-11 (F2 Chemicals Ltd., Preston, UK) at 30° C. 

1. A process for making an aqueous dispersion of fluoropolymer particles comprising: providing dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer in an aqueous polymerization medium; polymerizing at least one fluorinated monomer in said aqueous polymerization medium in the presence of said dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer and initiator to form the aqueous dispersion of particles of fluoropolymer.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of said dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer provided in said aqueous polymerization medium comprises less than about 15 wt % of said fluoropolymer solids produced in said aqueous dispersion.
 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said dispersed particulate of fluorinated ionomer has a weight average particle size of about 2 nm to about 100 nm.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer has an ion exchange ratio of about 3 to about
 53. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer is highly fluorinated.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer is perfluorinated.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer comprises a polymer backbone with recurring side chains attached to the polymer backbone with the side chains carrying ionic groups.
 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer comprises ionic groups having a pKa less than about
 10. 9. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer comprises ionic groups selected from the group consisting of sulfonate, carboxylate, phosphonate, phosphate, and mixtures thereof.
 10. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer comprises sulfonate groups.
 11. The process of claim 7 wherein said recurring side chains are represented by the formula —(O—CF₂CFR_(f))_(a)—(O—CF₂)_(b)—(CFR′_(f))_(c)SO₃X, wherein R_(f) and R′_(f) are independently selected from F, Cl or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a=0 to 2, b=0 to 1, c=0 to 6, and X is H, Li, Na, K or NH₄.
 12. The process of claim 11 wherein said recurring side chain is represented by the formula —O—CF₂CF(CF₃)—O—CF₂CF₂SO₃X wherein X is H, Li, Na, K or NH₄.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluorinated ionomer in thermoplastic form has a melt flow at 270° C. using a 5 kg weight of about 1 to about
 500. 14. The process of claim 1 further comprising providing surfactant in said polymerization medium.
 15. The process of claim 1 further comprising providing fluorosurfactant in said polymerization medium.
 16. The process of claim 1 further comprising providing fluoroether surfactant in said polymerization medium.
 17. The process of claim 16 wherein said fluorosurfactant has the formula: [R¹—O_(n)-L-A⁻]Y⁺ wherein: R¹ is a linear or branched partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group which may contain ether linkages; n is 0 or 1; L is a linear or branched alkylene group which may be nonfluorinated, partially fluorinated or fully fluorinated and which may contain ether linkages; A⁻ is an anionic group selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfonamide anion, and phosphonate; and Y⁺ is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal cation; with the proviso that the chain length of R¹—O_(n)-L- is not greater than 6 atoms.
 18. The process of claim 17 wherein n is
 1. 19. The process of claim 18 wherein R¹ is CF₃CF₂CF₂—; L is —CF(CF₃)—; and A⁻ is carboxylate; and Y⁺ is hydrogen or ammonium.
 20. The process of claim 1 wherein said aqueous medium contains less than about 300 ppm of perfluoroalkane carboxylic acid or salt fluorosurfactant having 8 or more carbon atoms based on the weight of water in said aqueous polymerization medium.
 21. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymerizing produces less than about 13 wt % undispersed fluoropolymer based on the total weight of fluoropolymer produced.
 22. The process of claim 1 wherein said at least one fluorinated monomer is selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), trifluoroethylene, hexafluoroisobutylene, perfluoroalkyl ethylenes, fluorovinyl ethers, vinyl fluoride (VF), vinylidene fluoride (VF2), perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD), perfluoro-2-methylene-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (PMD), perfluoro(allyl vinyl ether) and perfluoro(butenyl vinyl ether).
 23. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymerizing of said at least one fluorinated monomer produces polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene having a comonomer content of no greater than about 1 wt %.
 24. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymerizing of said at least one fluorinated monomer produces a melt-processible copolymer comprising at least about 60-98 wt % tetrafluoroethylene units and about 2-40 wt % of at least one other monomer.
 25. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymerizing of said at least one fluorinated monomer produces a melt-processible copolymer containing functional groups which are precursors for ionic groups.
 26. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymerizing of said at least one fluorinated monomer produces a fluorocarbon elastomer.
 27. The process of claim 26 wherein said fluorocarbon elastomer copolymers comprise 25 to 70 wt %, based on total weight of the fluorocarbon elastomer, of copolymerized units of a first fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VF2), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and mixtures thereof.
 28. The process of claim 1 wherein providing said dispersed fluorinated ionomer particulate in said aqueous polymerization medium is performed by mixing a concentrated aqueous dispersion or dispersible powder of said fluorinated ionomer into said aqueous polymerization medium. 